January 2026 is bringing a fresh wave of exciting releases to PC, with developers across the globe launching innovative projects on Steam. In this curated list of the top Steam games to look out for in January 2026, we highlight newly released and upcoming titles that are set to capture player attention through unique gameplay ideas, strong creative direction, and polished experiences.
Eclipse of Eldergaard
Eclipse of Eldergaard is a dark, time-bound action-adventure that places players in a relentless race against an impending apocalypse. Set on the cursed Bloody Day, the game challenges you to seal spreading hell gates before Umbra, the Wukong of Shadow, breaks free. Every decision matters as the clock constantly ticks, forcing careful balance between combat, exploration, and survival. With its crystal-based progression, tense atmosphere, and multiple endings, the game delivers a focused, high-stakes experience built around urgency and consequence.
Intergalactic Cleaning Squad
Intergalactic Cleaning Squad is a tactical arcade space clicker that blends fast-paced combat with lighthearted humor and smart automation. Players command a trio of unlikely heroes as they blast through 25 levels of interplanetary chaos, upgrading their squad to handle increasingly messy threats. The game balances active play with an optional idle mode, letting players step back while the squad keeps the universe clean. With its stylish isometric pixel art, retro visual options, and energetic soundtrack, it offers a compact but polished experience built around fun and flexibility.
Soul’s Gambit
Soul’s Gambit is a strategy-driven card game that fuses roguelike deckbuilding with a dark, narrative-focused RPG framework. Drawing on familiar poker hands while adding tactical depth, each run challenges players to read opponents, manage risk, and adapt their decks on the fly. Battles go beyond simple luck, rewarding smart use of special cards and well-timed decisions. Its moody casino setting, moral choice system, and high replayability make it a standout for players who enjoy thoughtful, tension-filled card experiences.
Gold and Wars
Gold and Wars is a medieval strategy title that blends classic board game mechanics with turn-based tactics and economic management. Players compete for territory and influence by rolling dice, developing cities, trading resources, and engaging in tactical card-based battles. Combat emphasizes army composition and equipment choices, making preparation as important as conquest. With its mix of randomness, deep systems, and high replayability, the game offers a thoughtful strategy experience inspired by both board games and tactical warfare.
Raid One : 1 vs 5 Online Boss Battle
Raid One : 1 vs 5 Online Boss Battle is an online action RPG built around tense 5-vs-1 asymmetrical PvP encounters. One player takes control of a powerful Boss, while five Hunters explore, level up, and assemble random skill combinations before the final showdown. Each match unfolds differently as players adapt to evolving abilities, environmental threats, and time pressure. The result is a fast-paced, strategy-driven experience where preparation and improvisation are just as important as combat skill.
Anarchy School
Anarchy School is a story-driven first-person action adventure set in a fictional middle school in Finland. Players explore the halls of Graveschool, uncovering disturbing secrets while dodging faculty, confronting bullies, and meeting an eccentric cast of characters. Told across 17 fully voice-acted episodes, the game mixes dark humor with chaotic combat using everyday objects as weapons. Its nonlinear structure and bold themes make it a provocative and unconventional narrative experience.
Athelan Battlegrounds Demo
Athelan Battlegrounds Demo is a turn-based PvP tactics game that puts skill and decision-making above everything else. Matches play out in a retro-futuristic arena where small mistakes can decide the outcome, and there’s no progression or pay-to-win systems to hide behind. You build a team of champions and face other players or AI in tightly designed battles that reward smart positioning and planning. It’s an experience aimed squarely at players who enjoy fair, competitive strategy without distractions.
Orbital
Orbital is an intense survival challenge where players control entire planets in a desperate effort to delay humanity’s extinction. As a supermassive black hole consumes the solar system, every second you endure matters more than survival itself. Each planet offers distinct technologies and playstyles, forcing you to adapt as gravity, debris, and cosmic chaos escalate. Built around skill, pressure, and inevitability, the game turns endurance into the only measure of success.
Prison Fury Demo
Prison Fury Demo is a two-player co-op puzzle platformer built around constant back-and-forth between partners. Each player is placed on a mirrored side of the prison, where most actions directly affect the other person’s path. Puzzles revolve around timing, pattern recognition, and coordination, with short rounds that make it easy to retry and experiment. The focus stays firmly on communication and shared problem-solving, creating quick sessions that feel tense, satisfying, and genuinely collaborative.
Parcel Frenzy: Get To Work!
Parcel Frenzy: Get To Work! drops you into a warehouse job that quickly spirals out of control. You’re left alone to sort packages, stack pallets, and keep broken machines running while your boss calls in from vacation. Small mistakes cost money, pressure keeps building, and the workday never really lets up. Between chaotic shifts, strange side tasks, and the occasional quiet night mode, the game leans into the feeling of being overwhelmed rather than trying to smooth it out.
Watt’s the Limit? Demo
Watt’s the Limit? Demo is a playful incremental simulation that turns lightbulb testing into controlled destruction. Players click, pull switches, and push machinery to stress bulbs until they shatter, then reinvest their earnings into upgrades and automation. Even in the demo, progression quickly opens into a deep tech tree, mixing idle growth with moments that demand active input. Its humor, tactile controls, and escalating chaos give the game a personality that goes beyond a typical clicker.
Pilgrim: Unto Shadow
Pilgrim: Unto Shadow is a dark RPG set in a city caught in its final night. You play as a silent pilgrim moving through ruined streets, fighting enemies, and uncovering what remains of the Holy Empire. Combat is built around timing and chained actions rather than traditional movement, which gives encounters a deliberate, almost duel-like feel. The game encourages exploration and personal choice, letting players find their own path through the city and decide how the journey ends.
Lost Wiki: Kozlovka Demo
Lost Wiki: Kozlovka Demo is about digging through a fake Wikipedia to figure out what’s wrong with a small town in Eastern Europe. You play as a journalist in the 1990s, reading articles, following leads, and slowly noticing that the information doesn’t add up. The demo focuses on learning how the database works and writing a few reports based on what you find. It’s slow, text-heavy, and built for players who enjoy spotting connections and uncovering stories on their own.
There is NO PLAN B – Episode 0
There is NO PLAN B – Episode 0 is a narrative-driven detective experience set in a cyberpunk future where technology and corporate control shape every investigation. Players take on the role of Detective B, a reclusive investigator who solves crimes without ever leaving her home. Using futuristic tools, careful deduction, and social manipulation, players must cut through lies to uncover hidden truths. Its focus on story, atmosphere, and investigative choice makes it a compelling entry for fans of cyberpunk mysteries.
Fight Flight
Fight Flight is a laid-back yet engaging arcade flight experience that lets players take to the skies anywhere on Earth. You can jump straight into dogfights against AI-controlled planes or simply fly freely and enjoy the journey across real-world locations. With each session starting in a random place and weather conditions constantly changing, no two flights feel the same. Its simple controls and score-focused design make it easy to pick up, while still delivering the thrill of flying and exploration.
Prison of Lies
Prison of Lies is a short, thought-provoking visual novel built around a grim moral dilemma. Four prisoners, cleared of all charges, are forced to choose who among them will die to satisfy a prison quota. As the story unfolds across four increasingly brief chapters, players learn more about each character and the truths they hide. Focused on themes of trust, lies, and empathy, the game delivers a tightly paced narrative experience designed to linger well beyond its brief playtime.
Drive Together Demo
Drive Together Demo is a chaotic co-op driving experience where multiple players share control of a single car. With each player responsible for different inputs like acceleration, braking, or steering, success depends entirely on communication and teamwork. The game challenges groups to navigate tricky tracks through coordination rather than speed alone. Whether played solo or with friends, it turns simple driving into a playful test of cooperation and patience.
King’s Devotion
King’s Devotion is a story-rich action RPG set in a war-torn kingdom where loyalty, betrayal, and survival collide. Players follow General Benaiah as shifting alliances and hidden enemies test his devotion to a collapsing realm. The game blends fast-paced real-time combat with deep character kits, allowing for evolving strategies and varied team combinations. With a large cast of original characters and challenge-driven encounters, it offers a narrative-focused experience shaped by both combat skill and moral choice.
Poker Fate – ACG Texas Hold’em
Poker Fate – ACG Texas Hold’em is a free-to-play Texas Hold’em experience that blends classic poker mechanics with anime-style presentation and character interaction. Designed to be welcoming for beginners while still engaging for experienced players, it offers tutorials, tournaments, and multiple play modes without pay-to-win pressure. Animated Live2D characters, voice acting, and customization add personality to each match, while core gameplay remains focused on strategy, bluffing, and decision-making. It’s a distinctive take on poker that mixes competitive play with collectible-driven charm.
FlipScapes
FlipScapes is a colorful arcade adventure that reimagines pinball through a playful pachinko-inspired universe. Players choose from a cast of heroes, each with unique abilities that change how they approach ramps, bumpers, and fast-paced minigames. Spanning multiple themed worlds, the game mixes classic pinball flow with varied arcade challenges and character-driven progression. With reactive music, leaderboard goals, and strong controller support, it offers a lively and accessible twist on traditional pinball design.
Not Lonely Up!
Not Lonely Up! is a gentle 3D climbing action game set in a stylized, anime-inspired version of Japan. Players guide a determined heroine upward through branching paths, scenic stages, and carefully placed checkpoints that remove the frustration common to the genre. With auto-saves and forgiving recovery mechanics, progress can be made at a relaxed pace, even in short sessions. Unlockable outfits and atmospheric environments shift the focus toward exploration, mood, and the simple satisfaction of steadily climbing higher.
DayOff: Moonriver incident
DayOff: Moonriver incident is a 2D top-down survival thriller set in a once-quiet town overtaken by a supernatural crisis. Players investigate eerie events as a small-town cop, using detective work, exploration, and limited resources to stay alive. The game blends open-ended missions with environmental interaction, encouraging creative solutions when combat isn’t the answer. With its hand-drawn visuals and dark synth atmosphere, it delivers a tense, story-driven experience inspired by classic mystery and horror.
BasketBlow
BasketBlow is a physics-based tabletop basketball game designed for relaxed but competitive play. Using simple two-button controls, players time their shots carefully while competing in customizable leagues and cup tournaments. Team editing, multiple player profiles, and a growing collection of unlockable courts and balls add long-term progression. With both local and online multiplayer options, it offers an easy-to-learn sports experience that still rewards precision and strategy.
